Senate toys with funding for Abbott's signature pre-K program

Updated 5:26 am, Friday, March 17, 2017

Araceli Beltran, first year Pre-K teacher, receives a group hug from her students on the last day of school at John F. Kennedy Elementary School Wednesday, May 25, 2016, in Houston, Texas.

Araceli Beltran, first year Pre-K teacher, receives a group hug from her students on the last day of school at John F. Kennedy Elementary School Wednesday, May 25, 2016, in Houston, Texas.

Photo: Gary Coronado, Houston Chronicle

Senate toys with funding for Abbott's signature pre-K program

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AUSTIN --The future of Gov. Greg Abbott's signature pre-K program is in flux after lawmakers yanked its funding, setting off jockeying over early education funds and the governor's priorities.

"The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to cut funding for the program, which the chamber originally budgeted at $75 million a year for the next biennium. The total was already well below the $236 million Abbott wanted to fully fun his initiative."

The committee opted instead to move those funds to nonprofits that support pre-K programs, a move some senators say would spread pre-K money throughout the state instead of limiting it to school district applying for the funds.

The committee Thursday morning then reinserted some of the funding, but lawmakers say the budget is still in flux. The Senate now has $65 in its budget for high quality pre-K, according to the office of Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson.

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The committee plans to vote on a final budget plan next week.

"It's incomprehensible that the Senate is jeopardizing the future of Texas students by depriving them of high quality pre-K, instead forcing them into an unaccountable program," said John Wittman, an Abbott spokesman.